For the Love of Jonas
by solitary-writer
Summary: My name is Alexandra. I wasn't looking for love, but it found me anyways. When Nick of JONAS fell for me, a painful memory flooded back.
1. The Interview

I still can't believe that this is my life. But what's even more amazing than my life, is how I got to this point. I'm going to tell you the story of how I met the guy who is sitting next to me. Who is he? Read on, and find out.

I remember thinking, _So this is how it feels. The bright lights, the dazzling camera flashes, the murmur of the crowd; my very first time on TV, on a talk show. _

I was just standing backstage numbly, waiting for the host to introduce me. _I did it. I actually finished writing my novel. At 14 years of age. _Breathing deeply, I took it all in. But I was far from being peaceful; panic began to set in as reality came to light. A thousand questions ran through my mind; _What will I say? What if I stutter? What if I'm too nervous to say anything at all? _

"And the author of this amazing novel is right here with us. Come on out Alexandra!"

Somehow, I managed to move my legs, and get over to my chair. _Ok, so maybe this won't be so bad. _I'm starting to relax, and I am answering the questions with ease. All seems to be going well doesn't it? If only things had continued this way... But then again, if things had continued this way, I wouldn't have this story to tell you! So the next thing that the reporter said to me was,

"I hear that you not only are a brilliant writer, but a musician! You play the piano, correct?"

"Yes."

"Playing an instrument, do you feel that you appreciate music more?"

"Oh definitely, I think that you come to realize just how good some of your favourite artists really are. And how many artists really aren't!"

"Very insightful. Do you have a favourite artist, Alex?"

"Well, Alicia Keys is an amazing pianist, singer/songwriter; Green Day is amazing, definitely a very different style; I think that my favourite artist would be Nick Jonas. So much talent and such an amazing stage presence. Listening to his music has helped me through many a bout of writers block and many a boring math class!"

I could hear the crowd laugh with me, but their laughter was not loud enough to drown out what the host was saying.

"I had a feeling you might say that."

I was so freaked out when she said that. I was thinking, _wait a minute, what! I don't think I can take any surprises!_

The host then turned to address the crowd.

"Like all good talk show hosts, I did my research on our guest here. And that's why I would like to introduce an idol of Alex's. Come on out!"

And out walked Nick Jonas himself.


	2. Hospital Wakeup

Jonas Fiction (part 2)

A moment ago, I had been so calm. Now my heart was pounding in my chest and my palms were sweating. I got up out of my chair (I think that my body was on autopilot) and self-consciously rubbed my sweaty hands on my jeans. Nick stuck his hand out for me to shake, but the instant I took it, I knew that something was wrong. My heart was beating too fast; there was too much oxygen in my lungs, too much adrenaline in my veins. The world was blurred and out of focus, and then everything went black.

***

I still can't believe that I passed out. I mean, most fans scream or cry and that's all normal. But no, I fainted. When I woke up, I was in the hospital. As I found out when Nick filled me in, I sprained my ankle as I fell. Wow. I am so accident prone. Anyways, I guess that most people's first words to their favourite celebrity aren't usually, "Ugh, what happened?" But mine were.

Nick had been sitting in a chair in the far corner of the room, and walked over to kneel beside my bed when he saw that I was awake. My guess is that he felt it was his fault that I'd overreacted like I did. Whatever the reason, he was really there, and really didn't answer my question.

"Are you alright?" he asked me instead.

_Oh my god_, I'd thought, _no I'm not ok. I fainted during my first television interview; I sprained my ankle, and woke up in the hospital to find a 17 year-old rock star kneeling beside me who won't even tell me what happened. I think I am going to cry. _

"I'm fine, ok? Could you just tell me what happened?"

He sat back down in his chair in the corner, propping his elbows on his knees and his head on his hands.

"I'm not sure really; I took your hand to shake it and you just collapsed. I saw your ankle was bent at a funny angle, so I carried you off the stage while one of the managers called 911. I stuck around with you and waited for the ambulance to arrive. I was really worried, you just looked so pale. When the ambulance came, I told them what happened and rode with you to the hospital."

"How long was I out?" Ugh, even now that sounds cliché.

"It's nearly eight o'clock now, so about 3 ½ hours."

My mind was overloaded with information. I almost didn't hear Nick say, "Visiting hours are nearly over you know." Almost.

"Oh. Well, I guess you have to leave then..."

"No," he said, smiling, "I just have to hide."

His answer surprised me, and it still does.

"What, you don't have anything better to do than to hang out with a 14 year-old girl you barely know in the hospital?"

"Actually, this is where I choose to be."

Ok, so maybe I should have known at that point that I was more than just another girl to him. But I've never known a guy to think of me as anything more than a friend or acquaintance. Most just thought of me a nerd. I guess I was pretty oblivious.

"Well then," I'd said, "I hope I'll be ok. I mean, I did undergo a sensory overload when you touched my hand."

Thankfully he heard the mocking tone in my voice, and smiled. Which is kind of a miracle in and of itself; Nick's smiles are rare.


	3. Tell Me Everything

Jonas Fiction (part 3)

"I think I hear the nurse coming," he said. "See you in a minute."

Sure enough, I heard footsteps in the hall. The nurse walked in just a few moments after Nick hid under the bed. I didn't want to deal with her, so I pretended to be asleep. After she'd gone, Nick got back up and sat down on the end of my bed.

"Well," he whispered, "we never did get to have that interview. What do you want to know?"

I smiled at him. "Everything."

He actually did tell me nearly everything. And after I ran out of questions, he started asking me some. By the time we finished talking, we were like close friends. He had even lain down beside me. Yes, I'm sure that all you people I'm telling this to are saying, "ARE YOU AN IDIOT?!?!?!" I know that this is another signal I probably should have picked up on, but hey, I guess I was all "book smart" and not at all relationship savvy.

I think that when we finally had exhausted nearly every topic you can think of, it was around 2am. But we still hadn't talked about the glaringly obvious and perhaps most personal aspect of our lives.

"Ok, so I know that this is personal, but what about you doesn't the public know? Like... any relationships?" I asked.

"Not right now," he replied.

"Interested in anyone?"

"Well," he looked over at me, "I think I am."

If you still haven't caught on, you must be as clueless as I was. It's ok thought, because I've almost reached the turning point in my story. Well, I'm nearly almost there. Anyways... so here's what I said to him next.

"Really?" I asked eagerly. "Who is she? How long have you known her? Is she famous? What is she like? What is it that **you **like about her?"

"Hold on, one question at a time please," he said, amused at my breathless sentence.

"Fine. How long have you known her?"

"Not long really. But I still feel like I've known her all my life."

"Is she famous?"

"Yes, but not too famous."

"So not some airhead pop star?"

"Not at all."

"What's she like?"

"She's smart, funny, beautiful. She's very talented and accomplished. She's like no one I've ever met before."

"What is it about her that you really like?"

"I guess that I like the fact that she is funny, but can be serious, I like that she has no problem expressing herself."

"Are you going to tell me who she is?"

"Maybe, but not right now."

"Well, I hope things work out for you Nick. She sounds great."

"What about you? Are you seeing in anyone?"

I couldn't help it. When he asked me this, I had to laugh.

"As if! I know I'm only 14, but I don't think that any guy has ever been even remotely interested in me."

I yawned, and laid my weary head on his shoulder.

"But I'm ok, it's not a big deal. I guess romance just isn't for me."

I closed my eyes for just a moment, but the next thing I knew, it was morning, and I was alone in my terribly uncomfortable hospital bed. Nick was back in his chair in the corner sleeping. It was almost as if last night had never even happened. But I knew better than that.


	4. When Can I Leave?

"So you're awake are you?" The nurse had entered my room. "How are you feeling?"

"Mostly ok. My ankle is still sore."

"I should say so! That's quite a nasty sprain; it's a miracle you didn't break anything."

I sighed. "Yeah, ok. When do you think I can get out of here?"

"Today if you're up to it."

That brightened me up considerably. "Really?"

"Yes; there is one thing though. We are really short on supplies and I'm afraid I could only give you crutches if you had broken your ankle. You may have to limp around for a few days."

"I think I can tough it out."

She smiled at me and went to leave the room. That was when she saw Nick.

"When did this young man get here?" She asked, shocked.

Not allowing myself to panic, I instead came up with an impeccably logical answer.

"No idea. I was asleep, remember?"

"Well, visiting hours don't start until 11am, and it's only 10. He'll have to leave."

"Please don't make him go! I promise we'll be out of here in the next half hour. Besides, I need someone to help me limp out of here."

"Fine. Hope I don't see you in here again." She left the room and my and Nick were alone again.

I limped out of bed and walked over to where Nick was sitting. He looked... uncomfortable, to say the least. I guess that I would say that he looked like he was having a bad dream. Now I know why. But in that moment, I did not. Regardless, here's what I did do:

"Nick," I whispered, shaking him lightly, "Nick wake up."

I was about to shake him a little harder but it was then that I lost my balance and hit the floor with a thud.

"Are you ok?"

"Oh yeah, now you wake up," I grumbled. "I'm fine."

But he hadn't waited for an answer; he had just pulled me up. The strangest thing happened, however; when he caught my eyes, he quickly turned away, like he didn't want to see me.

"So, are you leaving today?" he asked, looking around the room, still not meeting my eyes.

"Umm, yeah, but they don't have any crutches to give me. I'm going to have a difficult week moving around. Especially so far from home."

"Things are never simple around you, you know."

"I know."

"Please, just try not to hurt yourself again; I'm tired of asking you if you are alright. Besides, you've done enough damage already."

Now that stung.

"Ok, I'll try not to hurt myself," I said in a small voice.

It's strange, but Nick's emotions have never shown themselves very clearly on his face, whether he tried to hide them or not. I was really trying to find out. If I had to try to guess, he seemed irritated, but subtle hints on his face suggested that he was hurting inside.

"Nick, how about we get out of here? Can you help me get back to my hotel room?"

"Sure, whatever."


	5. Are You Mad at Me?

Note: Some people have expressed concern over the girl's age (if this is to be a romance). Please do not be concerned, it will play a vital role in the story. Also, this story is going to end up being quite long, so I hope everyone likes reading! oh, and sorry for the short chapter!

* * *

As we walked (well, Nick walked; I limped) I was thinking, _what could be bothering him? Should I ask him what's wrong?_ After just a few minutes of silence, I knew I had to ask. What really clinched it was when I lost my balance and put my hand on his shoulder for support; he had actually grimaced and shrugged it off! That's when I asked,

"What's your deal? Are you mad at me or something?"

"What?"

I sighed. "I want to know what's bugging you, Nick. You're acting so differently today, so uncaring. Look, I know that I'm probably not who you want to be spending time with, but we were getting along really well last night, and if you would just-"

"You don't understand."

"What? What don't I understand? Please just tell me!"

"It's not that simple."

I had been getting angrier, but when he said that, I was done.

"Fine! You know what, you can just leave then! I do have a severely sprained ankle you know! And if you are just going to walk along next to me without helping me or talking or anything, then I don't really see why you're still here!"

"Stop."

"Stop what? Yelling? If you're not going to tell me what's wrong I'm going to keep yelling until-"

"Please, stop."

"If you think-" I broke off in mid-sentence. Nick had finally looked me in the eyes, and I saw that he was biting his lip and fighting back tears. I had never seen a guy like this. I had especially never thought that Nick Jonas, who was always so serious and composed, would look like this.

"Hey," I said softly, "I'm sorry." I took his hand, and this time he didn't cringe at my touch.

"I'll tell you what's bothering me," he said quietly, "as long as I can take you somewhere... more private."

"Of course. Well, as long as you aren't in any hurry. My ankle, you know."

"My car is parked about 2 blocks down, we can take it."

"Alright, but will you help me walk this time? I could use someone to lean on."

Instead, he scooped me up, and began carrying me down the street.

I sighed. "You do realize that this is very conspicuous?" I said. _And we look like a couple. That is the last thing I need right now. _

"I know," he said, "but I don't really care."

Now, I did get 6 hours of sleep last night, but I guess that it wasn't enough, because I fell asleep right then and there. It also helped that his arms were more comfortable than the hospital bed.


	6. Tell Me Why

Once again, I woke up in a room unfamiliar to me. Instead of a hospital room, I was in a luxurious hotel room, lying on a soft plush couch. Also in the room was a large flat screen television, a chocolate brown leather armchair, and a sliding glass door that lead out to the balcony. Nick was visible through the clear glass, looking as though he had been carved from stone. Painfully, I managed to limp outside. Ok, let me just pause for a moment here and say that this is where the story of my life gets a little… well, both romantic and sad. Just warning you. Anyways, I slid the door open, and quietly said, "Hi Nick."

"Alexandra, I need to tell you something." He didn't turn to face me, but I could tell from his voice that he had calmed down.

"Are you going to tell me why you were so upset earlier?"

"Look, Alex; when I said, last night, that I liked some girl… I was talking about you."

I just stood there, with a blank expression on my face. I could not process this piece of information. It sound too ridiculous, too dreamlike. Beginning to feel dizzy and really starting to feel the pain in my ankle, I sat down and rested my back against the cold railing. For the first time since I came outside, I tore my eyes away from Nick and instead looked at the sky above. I clearly remember that it was only mid-day, but the sky was dark, consumed by angry grey storm clouds.

"Alex?" Nick said, trying to get my attention. He had sat down next to me. I turned my head slowly, hoping that I hadn't offended him by not saying anything. It didn't look like I had, but he wasn't finished talking yet.

"The reason that I was upset was that you didn't seem open to a relationship. I didn't think that you would ever give it a try. But I had to tell you…"

I was broken inside, but I forced a smile and tried to persuade him that he shouldn't like me, that we should just stay friends. I didn't say all that of course; instead I said, "Nick, I'm flattered, but you know it would never work. You're two and half years older than me (my birthday is in April, his in September) and with you being so famous, the press would be all over us. There is no way that we would be able to go anywhere or do anything private and you could get stuck with a bad reputation!"

He gave me one of those looks that said so clearly that he saw right through me and my excuses. He definitely knew that I wasn't telling him everything.

"What's the real reason you won't give me a chance?"

"Hey! What I said was very true!"

"And only a very small reason why this wouldn't work. I know you're only telling me half the story."

"Well maybe the other half is… something I don't want to even think about."

"And maybe I hate seeing you cry as much as I know you hate crying in front of me. But I have to know. You owe me at least a proper explanation."

"I don't owe you anything." He raised an eyebrow. "Ok, so maybe I do, but…"

The salty and all too familiar taste of tears was present on my tongue. I really didn't want to dig up this memory, and I especially didn't want to have to say it out loud. But some part of me knew that I had to get this off my chest. And maybe Nick would understand. Maybe. Would you want to be in my position? Would you want to be sitting out on a porch with Nick Jonas, after he told you that he really liked you? I'm sure that a lot of people would. But those people weren't there, and those people had never heard my story. "Alright," I sobbed quietly, "I'll tell you." But my tears were nearly choking me, and I wasn't even sure that I could. Nick knew it, he knew that this was hard for me. He put an arm around me, and comforted my like a big brother would his little sister.

"Please just listen ok? Don't say a word, because once I start, I'm going to have to just keep talking or I'll never finish."

He nodded silently, a solemn expression on his face. I took a deep breath, blinked away me tears and began.


	7. You're Impossible!

I began to reveal to Nick exactly why I didn't want to like him. Actually, it explained a lot about me; but was also the most tragic and saddening of all of my memories.

"Remember when I told you that no guy had ever though of me as anything more than a friend? Well, I guess I wasn't completely honest with you." I knew that I had to press on, but already I felt as though I may drown in my tears. "His name was Liam. We went out for almost 9 months. Liam was the sweetest, funniest, most understanding guy that anyone could ever wish to meet. He liked me every bit as much as I liked him. And he was the only one who understood that sometimes I just wanted to be by myself, sometimes I wanted to just write for hours at a time. All my other friends got fed up with it and I was kind of lonely. But Liam understood; he was great at soccer and knew what it was like to have such a busy schedule. He knew it was worth it to put so much time into something when it was something you loved.

It was my birthday, and I sitting on the couch by the windowsill in my living room, in the middle of the climax of my novel. Liam had been on his way to my house and of course it was pouring rain, as it always is in my hometown. The road were slick, and it was hard to anyone to see clearly. At the intersection down the street from my house, when…"

The memory was too sharp, too clear; it was altogether too much. Nick squeezed me tightly, seeing my distress. However, there was no time to be upset, because if I stopped now, I would never finish. Wiping my eyes, I continued,

"I heard the squeal of tires, and a piercing yell. Looking out the window, my view of the scene was sadly unobscured. The car had spun through the neighbours' fence, and Liam was… I raced down to road, and knelt down beside him. I almost wished I hadn't. As soon as I got down there, I knew that he wasn't going to make it; there was too much blood, far too much blood. He knew I was there and the last thing that he said to me, I guess the last thing that he said to anyone, was simply, 'thank you.'"

I had thought that I would be crying more than ever, reliving this moment, but instead I felt numb and cold. I knew that the shivers running down my side had little to do with the weather (though it was beginning to rain lightly). Nick still sat beside me silently, but I had one more thing I had to say. Looking him right in the eyes, I said, "He wasn't just my boyfriend; he was my best friend, _my only friend_. And when he was gone, I couldn't get close to people, for fear that they would leave me. I just can do it, Nick. I can't go there again, I don't think I'd make it."

"Alex, I'm not going anywhere. With all the security following me around, nothing is going to happen to me!"

He still didn't understand. This was what I was afraid would happen. He had to understand that we just couldn't be together. I didn't think that it would be worth it to take this risk. You may think that I was going on and on about this, but have you ever lost a friend? Your only friend?

"I wasn't kidding about the media. They really will be all over you for dating someone that's like 2 ½ years younger than you! And what about our parents? Nick, there is going to be too much pressure on this to work out, and if it doesn't, everyone is going to say, 'I told you so, Nick, I told you not to go out with some kid.' How do you think that would make me feel?"

"I'll make sure it works out! I'm never going to meet anyone like you again!"

"You are impossible. It's about to rain too, let's just go inside."

He helped me up (good choice, I might have slapped him otherwise) and I grasped his arm for support as we slide open the door and went inside. The irregular throbbing and pain my ankle was causing was really starting to get on my nerves.

I sat down on one end of the couch, and Nick was on the other. Sure, I had always dreamed of meeting him, of him falling in love with me, but I never imagined that it would happen. And that was before Liam… well, you know what I mean. I was made at Nick for being so careless as to think that a relationship between us could work out. It may sound to you like I am blowing this out of proportion and that it could totally work. But imagine having to tell you dad that you are dating a rock star 2 ½ years older than you. Sound bad yet? Now imagine that the whole world knew that you were dating, and you were being constantly followed by cameras and reporters shoving microphones in your face asking for a word. This was what I would be faced with; Nick couldn't be with me all the time. I just didn't know him well enough yet to know whether he was worth it.


	8. Teen Hollywood

Would you do it? I mean really, if you were in my position, would you be able to stand being with someone (even if they are an amazing someone) just to have them taken from you? Because that was probably what would happen. At the very least. I wouldn't have a private life anymore. Right then, as I contemplated what I could do, whether I knew Nick well enough to really and truly trust in him, he turned on the television to fill the silence. We'd both been caught up in our own thoughts and just hadn't spoken to one another. Plus, you know, we had been arguing and were kinda in bad moods.

"In the world of teen Hollywood," a reporter was saying, "things are always unpredictable. That's why we bring you updates every night on all your favourite celebs. Our first story is about the youngest Jonas Brother!"

I immediately jolted upright turning to face the television. Nick too was woken from his thoughts.

"Yesterday, Nick was to be on a popular talk show with the new young author Alexandra Neptune. For reasons unknown, this interview did not take place. However, the two did meet; this morning, Nick was seen to be carrying Alex down Ravenwood Ave."

Oh my god. They had a clip (it looked like it was taken by a car on the street) of me in Nick's arms. Remember me saying it looked conspicuous and like we were a couple? Yeah, well that's exactly how it looked on television. Nick looked over at me sheepishly.

"Alright, I know what you're thinking, but it's not like they think-"

"Has Nick Jonas found love at last? Here's what some fans on the street said:

'I'm so jealous; they look like such a cute couple!'

'What, did a fan faint?' (and yes, there is irony in that!)

'Are they going or something?'

'Isn't she like 14?'"

"Hey," I said, "I'm nearly 15! Only three more weeks…"

"Personally, we're hoping that she really did just faint. He is much to old for her and you know how these teen stars can be!"

I shot Nick such a piercing glare that he grimaced. How come he wasn't worried? Why didn't he care that the world was already declaring that we were to be torn apart? I asked him these questions.

Effortlessly, without even thinking about it, he replied, "I know that you're worth it. I'll never meet anyone like you again Alex; I'm going to do whatever it takes to work this out. Right now, at this moment, the only person standing in our way, the only force trying to keep us apart… is you."

And all I could do was just stare at him, with my jaw on the floor.


	9. Making a Decision

I suppose that I can't put it off any longer. I have to choose what to do, what path to take. Every logically thinking part of me wanted to go. There were just too many negatives. Even my heart wanted me to leave. My poor, fragile heart which was not entirely whole; such a large part of my heart had been ripped away. Could it stand to have another piece torn away? How could I persevere with all of the world tugging at me? Even as my heart said all this, another part of me argued. My artistic soul, my very romantic writer's core was supplying a familiar quote. "It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." It also argued, _hey, what have you got to loose?_ And really, what did I have to loose? If Nick really liked me, and I… felt the same way, then no one, not even all the world, could take that away from me.

"You know, Nick," I told him, "I never thought I'd ever get to meet you. And everyone that I know said it was better that way, that reality rarely lives up to the expectations your dreams set. But you have surpassed all me expectations. And now it's time for me to repay you for that."

"So…?" he said.

"I'm not going keep my heart closed to you anymore."

He slid over to me and hugged me tightly. Unfortunately, our perfect moment was ruined when my cell phone rang.

"Dang it! Sorry Nick."

"No problem," he said. But you could tell that it was a problem.

My manager was on the other end of the line. She was very irked by the fact that I had neglected to call from the hospital, and also neglected to let her know that I had been released from the hospital. She reminded me that I had responsibilities; like promoting my new book. Not only did she tell me this, but she also said that if I didn't get to the hotel in the next hour, she would hunt me down and drag me back home.

I hung up, and looked over at Nick. "I'm so sorry Nick, I have to go."

"Oh, he said crestfallen.

"But I'll keep in touch! We'll see each other again soon, I promise!"

I wrote down the same information I had sent to countless agents and publishers (my mailing address and e-mail) and he gave me his cell number and e-mail.

"Well, I guess we have to go," I sighed.

"I'll drive you to your hotel," Nick offered.

A short car ride later and we were hand in hand, saying goodbye.

"My book tour will be over in a few weeks."

"And my concert tour."

"Then maybe," I said, "we can find some time in our busy schedules to spend some time together. At least now we have time to lay low; the press won't be asking too many questions." _At least, not yet, _I thought.

"I'll miss you," he whispered.

"I'll miss you too."

And I do already, even though he's just gotten in his car. No matter how difficult it would be for us, and no matter how long we would be apart, I knew that I would still feel the same way I do now. I knew that my heart belonged to Nick; and I knew he would guard it well.


	10. Birthday Surprises

_3 weeks later_

"What do you want for your birthday?"

That was the question wasn't it. My mom, like everyone else, wanted to know what I wanted, and I couldn't tell any of them. They didn't know that Nick Jonas liked me, they couldn't possibly understand how much I missed him, and so I couldn't tell them that all I wanted for my birthday was to be with Nick again. It wasn't just that he was refreshingly different or that he liked me too, but the truth was that I didn't really have any other friends. They didn't understand how I could choose to work on my book instead of hanging out with them. I felt so terrible that I had pushed him away in the little time we had together, just because he said he liked me. And now he was gone, I hadn't seen him in almost 3 weeks; my loneliness paralleled how I felt after Liam had gone. So to answer my mom's question, all I could say was, "I don't know; some journals, a new camera maybe?"

The worst part about all this was that I still didn't know if I had made the right decision. Maybe a clean break would've been better, maybe I should've just walked away. Nick talked to me as if he loved me, but could I ever feel that way about him?

There were two days until my birthday, but Nick was on my mind all the time and I couldn't clear my head. I was so lonely and depressed that I spent most of my time in my room listening to my iPod. Sure, Nick and I had e-mailed but each e-mail was quite short. I'd gave him my home number at some point, but he had only been able to call twice and couldn't talk for long. Finally, I woke up on Tuesday, April 16 and I was 15 years old. I walked out of my room, yawning widely, and saw that my mom had gone all out for my birthday. Most of my family was in my dining room (which looked like a party store; streamers and balloons everywhere!), around a table piled high with all sorts of food and drinks. I also had a stack of gifts waiting for me next to the table. But before I could even say hello, I was whisked back out of the room, and there was a purple dress thrown at me. "Change!" was my instruction, and so I put on the dress (it was actually a really gorgeous dress, fit perfectly) and looked in the mirror. The dress actually made me look 16 or 17 instead of 15. I thought I looked pretty good. I returned to the celebration, and for the next few hours, my family attempted to throw me the best birthday party ever. It was all great, but I was still… I just really wanted Nick back, I wanted to say I was sorry.

Nearly all of my family had left when the doorbell rang. I couldn't believe that there was anyone I hadn't seen or talked to yet. With a tired-and-less-than-sincere smile plastered on my face, I opened the door. Instantly, my smile became one of pure joy and shock. But I didn't faint!


	11. Conversations in the Car

Nick was standing at my front door smiling casually.

"Nick!" I exclaimed, throwing my arms around him.

"Alex," he sighed, stroking my hair gently.

"I can't believe you're here!"

"How could I not wish you a happy birthday in person?" he said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

I finally released him and smiled up at him.

"So happy 15th birthday," he whispered. "And now, it's time for us to go celebrate."

"Oh, you really don't have to take me out-"

"Alex. How could we not go out when you already in such a stunning outfit?"

"You like the dress?"

"You look absolutely breathtaking."

I blushed deeply, silently thanking my family for making me change.

"Alex?" My mom called. "Who's at the door?"

Ok, if your mom asked that, do you really think that you would believe you if you said, 'Oh, just my boyfriend, Nick Jonas'? So instead I said, "Come and see, Mom."

My mom walked toward the front door, looking down at her list of who I have to write thank-you cards to. When she finally reached where I was standing, she looked up.

"Aren't you-"

"Nick," he said holding out his hand for her to shake.

Instead of shaking his hand, my mom turned to me and whispered, "What is a Jonas brother doing in my house?" At that point, Nick self-consciously lowered his arm.

"He, umm, wants to take me out and celebrate my birthday," I said cautiously.

"And how does he know you?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"We… we met while I was on a talk show promoting my book." Yeah, that was a safe answer.

"Fine," she said, "because I know you can take care of yourself, you can go. But take your cell phone!"

"Thanks! Later!"

I grabbed Nick's arm and hurried him out of the house, shutting the door behind me. I couldn't believe I had made it out. It was true that sooner or later I would have to tell my parents; but right then, I chose later.

I saw that he opted for subtlety and his car (a Mustang!) was parked outside my house.

As Nick opened the door for me and I stepped in, I asked him where he was taking me.

"Oh don't ruin the surprise!"

Before he started the car, I just had to lean my head on his shoulder and stroke his hair; I just couldn't comprehend that Nick had come all the way from… wherever, just to be here. Actually, where had be come from?

"Hey Nick; I thought that your tour ended, like, yesterday?"

"Yeah, it did."

I looked at him incredulously. "But I thought you were in, like, Europe?"

"In Italy."

"That's like a 10 hour flight! Did you get any sleep last night."

Man, was he looking guilty. "I got a few hours. Ok, 3."

"Nick!" I said at him. "You shouldn't have come just for me, I could've waited to see you!"

"But I couldn't have. You have no idea how much I missed you, Alex."

"Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea."

Changing the subject, he said, "You know, it's going to be a lot easier to take you places now that we don't have to put up with a sprained ankle. Please try not to faint again, ok?"

"Ha ha, very funny."

The rest of our drive was spent filling each other in on what had been going on during our time apart. Nick told me about his time in Europe (and made me with that I had been there!) and I told him about my (much less interesting) book tour and how sales were strong. I also told him about how much I'd missed him, and how, as much as I wish he'd waited until tomorrow to come see me so that he could get some sleep, that I really was glad he'd come; the last few days without him had been the worst. He said he wished we could've talked more, but we were both so busy, and I totally got it. Nick was saying it was hard for him to be on tour without his brothers, that he was lonely. I couldn't believe that we had spent so little time together and could still miss each other so much; I also couldn't believe that out of the thousands of girls he could choose from, he liked me, it was all still a mystery to me. But whatever the reason, now that he was here (and I was 15) I felt a lot closer to him.


	12. A Run in with Fame

Roughly an hour from the time that we left my hour, we reached Vancouver (Canada, not Washington) and Nick took me to the part of the city called Gastown. We went to the Old Spaghetti Factory (which is awesome, because I absolutely adore pasta) and I felt that this was somewhat ironic because this is the restaurant that I went to before my first Jonas Brothers concert. As we walked in Nick slid on a baseball cap to hide his face. The last thing that we needed was to be hounded by paparazzi or hoards of screaming fans. We were seated in a booth in the far corner of the restaurant, and a waitress promptly showed up to take out orders.

"Hi, I'm Chloe, I'll be your waitress this afternoon."

Then she looked up and saw who she was serving.

"Oh my god, you're-"

"Shhh!" I tried to say.

"You're Alexandra Barret right."

"Huh?" I'd thought she recognized Nick; why would she recognize me?

"You wrote that book-"

"Oh, yeah, right." Oh, yes, I did have that book out that I had been promoting for the past month…

She immediately began asking my questions about my book, and if I was writing a sequel, and all that sort of stuff. I guess Nick was glad for the quick break, because he quickly whispered, "be right back," and slid out of the booth.

[momentarily switching to all-knowing 3rd person narrative (just because Alex isn't in the scene)]

Nick had taken the opportunity to leave the table because he saw his brothers entering the restaurant.

"What are you guys doing here?" he hissed.

"Yeah, way to welcome your brothers who haven't seen you in a month!"

"Joe, I'm sorry, but I really would like to get back to my date, so an answer please?"

"Dude, you didn't call or come home or anything after your tour, so we had to come check on you."

"I was in Italy!" he said incredulously. "How did you find out where I was?"

"Number one: we were right over at GM Place. Number two: You drove your Mustang here, and there is a mob of fans right outside this restaurant. All we had to do was follow the sound of screaming teenaged girls."

And sure enough, when Nick look outside, there were many teenaged girls hovering outside the door and many staff attempting to keep them outside. But leave to Kevin the focus on the smallest little things.

"So who's that date you were talking about?"

Nick sighed and rolled his eyes. "She's right over there."

Joe saw where he was pointing and said, "Wow. Does that cutie have a name?"

"Her name's Alex, and it's her birthday, and I'd really like to get back to her!"

"Oh really? It's her birthday? How old is she turning? 17?"

"No."

"16?!"

"15 actually."

Both Joe's and Kevin's eyes bugged out.

"What were you thinking?" Joe exclaimed. "Nick, you cannot date her!"

Why not? She's not **that** much younger than me!"

"Yeah, you say that **now**, but come September when you turn 18, it becomes a problem."

"Oh give him a break." Kevin said, "He's happy! Our little brother is actually smiling."

"Kev, it's not that I don't want him to be happy, it the fact that there are now reporters hovering outside the restaurant, and this is not a story that I think he wants to be telling them."

"Ugh! Joe, Kev, can you distract them long enough for Alex and I to sneak out?"

"Sure thing bro."

Nick rushed back the booth to get Alex.

[switching back to Alex's POV]

I saw Nick rushing back to the table, looking panicked. I had still been talking to Chloe, but I cut her off in the middle of a question.

"Nick, what's wrong!"

"We have to go."

"What? Why?"

"Paparazzi. Look; we have to leave NOW."

Chloe interrupted to say, "Oh my god. You're NICK JONAS!"

"Yeah," he said, "hi."

"I can help you guys! I sneak you out the back staff exit!"

"Thank you Chloe! You just, like, saved us."

"No problem. Here; follow me…"

Chloe lead us through the kitchen, and to a steel door at the very back of the restaurant.

"I don't see anyone, you should be able to get away."

"Thanks for the help Chloe," Nick said, "we owe you one."

He shook her hand briefly, and she looked absolutely stunned. At least **she **didn't faint.

Nick and I exited out the back door, and made our escape.


	13. We Escaped, I Think

"Alex, I'm so sorry about this." Nick whipped off his cap and looked me in the eyes pleadingly. He really was sorry.

"No, it's alright; I knew it'd be like this." And I had known. This was exactly the sort of thing that I'd told him would happen. I was surprised, however, that it had happened so soon. Most of all, I was afraid that we would never get to spend any time together in private.

"I promise I'll make this up to you."

"Really, it's ok, I don't mind-"

"No it's not ok! It's not fair to you. I promise this kind of thing won't happen again.''

"But how can you promise that?"

He sat me down against the back wall of the restaurant and reached into his jacket pocket. He pulled out a long, thin black box.

"Your birthday present…" he mumbled.

I took the small box and lifted off the lid. Inside was a gold heart on a thin and delicate gold chain. There was an inscription on the heart. It read: 'Nick J is off the chain.' It was so cute, the perfect necklace for any fan. I smiled sweetly at him.

"Turn it over," he said.

When I flipped the heart, I saw three little words had also been inscribed on the back: _I love you. _

And then he kissed me. And no, sparks didn't fly, angels didn't sing, but all the little pieces of my heart that had been chipped away with each misfortune… Suddenly they were there again. And I didn't feel as if a piece of me was missing anymore. I could finally truthfully say,

"I love you too."

Now I know you may think this is a little premature, but you weren't there. You don't know how we felt; you don't realize how much we needed each other.

(again momentarily using the 3rd person)

Little, did Alex and Nick know, they hadn't escaped the eye of the media. Hidden in the park nearby was one very lucky gossip reporter. He had it all; the couple, the necklace, **the kiss**. If one thing was for certain, Nick and Alex certainly wouldn't get the peace they sought after. The couple hurried away, hand in hand, completely oblivious.

"Ha," he murmured to himself, "that girl's heart will be broken within the week."

(back-to-normal)

Nick and I hurried away, knowing that the media would be back on our trail soon. Nick put his baseball cap back on, and we hurried to main street to try to catch a cab. I found it really hilarious that none of the drivers would stop for him, put as soon a I whistled, two pulled up. I told the driver to take us to the docks by the beach. I figured that because it was April, there would be very few people there. We talked a lot during the cab ride, mostly about stupid superficial stuff, but we were getting to know each other more anyways. For instance, I learned what his favourite colour was, I learned about his favourite outfits to wear on tour, and other stuff like that.

When we finally reached the beach, I saw that my prediction had been correct; we were alone. Nick paid our driver, and we walked down the dock and sat on the edge.


	14. Waterfront

We sat on the docks, dangling our legs over the edge. It was so nice to finally be alone. I was glad to have Nick's arms around me (the beach doesn't get all that warm in April; at least, not in Vancouver). But our recent escape from reality had told me that I had to have a serious chat with him. So I said the line.

"Nick, we need to talk." Ugh! So cliché, but I couldn't think of a better way to say it.

"About what?"

"I still don't think that you're taking all this seriously. We were almost caught back there."

"Oh, come on Alex, they're going to find out eventually!"

"But do you realize what could happen when they do? I just… listen, you're a great guy and you always come across as one, but I just don't want this to ruin your reputation. I don't want people to think you're going to far with me. I know you're not that kind of person and I don't want people to think you are."

"I don't care what everyone else thinks! Why are you-"

"What, why am I not madly in love with you like every other girl in the planet? Because I care, Nick! I want what's best for you and I don't think I'm it!" How is it, that a moment can be perfect, and a minute later I'm yelling?

"Why can't you just be happy with me?"

"I am happy, I just don't want you to give up everything for me."

"Alex; whatever the problem is, we'll sort it out!"

I sighed. Why is it so difficult for me to just be happy? There is a great guy sitting next to me who really likes me, and yet I continue to obsess over what people will think about our difference in age. This birthday really isn't working out well for me.

"I'm sorry. I just really couldn't stand it if your reputation was ruined because of me. You see celebrities all the time that do one thing wrong and suddenly their names are like swearwords or insults. I don't want you to be associated with guys who go after girls for really… just the wrong reasons."

"You know who I am. I know who I am. And that's all I care about."

With the sound of the ocean waves crashing on the beach, I couldn't help but feel more at ease.

"Hey, let's go back to my hotel room."

"Oh, so you got a room? How long were you planning on staying?"

"I was planning on staying until I had to go. By the way, I wanted to know if you play any instruments."

"Yeah, I've played piano for like 9 years, why?"

"Because I thought it might be cool if you could come along on tour with me, maybe play something backup."

My eyes grew wide. "Are you serious? That would rock!"

I hugged him really tightly, and squealed (yes, that's right, I squealed).

"Come on, let's go," he said, "there are a few hours left in this day."

His hotel was on the waterfront anyways, so it only took us half and hour to walk to it. Thankfully no one knew he was there, and we didn't have to sneak past a mob of fans. We got in the elevator to go up to his floor, and I swayed in time the old elevator music. Halfway up, the elevator shuddered and stopped. I had a feeling that we would be there for a while.


	15. Back Where I Started

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" I exclaimed.

"It's alright, I'm calling the front desk, and we'll be out of here in no time." Nick told me.

"Fine, but I'm calling my mom to tell her that I might be a little late."

We both whipped out our cell phones and dialled. My mom said it was ok that I would be a little late, as long as I got home. Nick did not have as good news. Apparently maintenance was taking care of a more pressing problem and wouldn't be there for some time. Well, this was the perfect opportunity to drive my point home.

"Nick-"

"You're not going to go on about this again are you?"

"I just think-"

"Listen Alex; I like you, I really like you. But if you're going to obsess over this, I don't think that this is going to work out. One sec, I'm getting a call."

He answered his phone and said, "Hello? Yeah. What? But that's not-. Where? Ok, yeah I'll check."

He opened in internet and searched for something. When he finally found it, he sighed and showed me the page. It was an online gossip article that had pictures of me and Nick and a full article about our relationship. Great, just great.

I didn't even want to say _I told you so_, my mind was already running through the possibilities of everything that could happen. I would have microphones shoved in my face all the time, my family would deal with the same thing, and Nick would be gone after for dating someone so much younger than him. We would never see each other in private, and my life would become a living nightmare. I shut me eyes, and just wished it would all go away.

When I opened my eyes again, I was in a hospital room. I felt tired and groggily rubbed my eyes. And then I sighed. My whole experience had been a dream. No wonder it had seemed so ludicrous. So none of that had really happened; all that had really happened was that I had really fainted and I was really in a hospital room. I was right back where I started, except this time this time, Nick wasn't sitting in the room with me; I was alone. However, he walked in a few minutes later.

"Oh, you finally woke up. Glad to see you didn't hurt yourself. What happened?"

"What's with all the questions, I just woke up!"

"Sorry," he answered sheepishly.

"No it's ok. Well, what happened was that you tried to shake my hand, and I was star struck."

"We never were properly introduced you know."

"Yeah, because I passed out!"

"How about I introduce myself. Hi," he said, holding out his hand, "I'm Nick."

I shook his hand. "Hi, I'm Alex."

And you know what, I think this fresh start was just what I needed.

* * *

I don't think that I am going to write a sequel to say what really happened, but if anyone really wants me too, just comment and say so. If not, thanks for reading! This is THE END.


End file.
